What happened
After powering back from the gate, the crew of the airliner reported the presence of fumes and smoke within the cabin. Approximately 200 feet from the jetway, the captain initiated an emergency evacuation. During the process, 8 of the 89 passengers sustained minor injuries. The aircraft itself sustained no damage.
During the evacuation, the tailcone slide deployed but failed to inflate automatically. An off-duty flight attendant attempted to manually inflate the slide but was unable to locate the required red manual inflation handle on the slide's girt. Instead, she found a small metal ring where the handle should have been and attempted to inflate the slide by pulling on that ring without success. Consequently, the flight attendant blocked the tailcon exit and directed passengers toward other available exits.
The investigation
The investigation determined that the tailcone evacuation system had been subject to improper maintenance by the airline, resulting in an improperly rigged cable assembly. Furthermore, other slides on the aircraft were found to have similar issues. The slide manufacturer, Air Cruisers, had previously issued a service bulletin to address this specific problem.
Findings
Investigators identified that the improperly rigged cable assembly prevented the automatic inflation of the tailcone slide and hindered manual inflation efforts. The Safety Board subsequently issued recommendations to the FAA regarding the implementation of service bulletins and the replacement of modified inflation cables.